By Rahul Banerji
Golf continued to free itself of the suffocating coils imposed by the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown with courses and clubs across the country either already in action, or re-opening soon.
In northern India, Noida was the last major golf-hosting area to come back on line with Jaypee Greens already open for residents and from Saturday for its members.
Jaypee Wishtown is expected to see action from Monday while the Noida Golf Course management sent out a short message to members on Thursday saying that the course is to reopen on Saturday.
It then followed up with more details.
Odd aspects
Two interesting aspects have come to the fore in advisories from the Noida area. One is that the government’s Aarogya Setu health app will be compulsory and two, golfers above 65 will not be allowed to play, at least right away.
This appears to be as per the local administration’s orders and per se, will hit those itching to get back on the fairways for almost three months now.
Incidentally Bangalore’s Karnataka Golf Association had the same advice for its members in its general guidelines issued on Wednesday.
“As per the (govt) guidelines, persons above 65 years of age and children under the age of 11 will not be allowed for entry,” it noted.
The home ministry note on Lockdown 4 made a distinction between prohibited activities (section 2) and others. However, section 7 is open to interpretation, and those above 65 will feel the brunt of the blow.
The MHA note says: “Persons above the age of 65, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years shall stay at home, except for essential and health purposes (highlight mine).
If golfing is not a past-time conducive to health, particularly with all the stringent protocols in place, it is difficult to see what is.
In all fairness, these instructions cover the duration of Lockdown 4, which ends on May 31, and it is possible they will be changed thereafter.
Jaypee Greens has also hiked rates for non-members, who will now have to pay what was previously the weekend rate of Rs. 7,000 on all playing days.
From elsewhere…
In updates from around the country, the KGA and Prestige Golfshire courses in and around Bangalore are likely to open on Friday.
In Lucknow, only the driving range at The Palm will open on Friday, while the Lucknow Golf Club expected to reopen on Tuesday next.
Some courses in Bhunabeshwar, Odisha, have opened, while there is no final word on when golf can resume in Hyderabad and other centres in southern India.
Kolkata was hammered by Cyclone Amphan and golf will be the last thing on the mind for now.
With Maharashtra the worst hit by the Covid crisis, there is uncertainty as to when the BPGC and Willingdon Sports Club courses will be back in action.
The WSC is part of a hub created by the state government for treatment of Covid-19 patients in South-Central Mumbai housing an Intensive Care Unit and isolation ward for virus-affected patients.
This virtually rules it out as a venue till the year end, at the very least.
Also, the monsoon follows shortly meaning that courses in western India will continue to stay closed in the foreseeable future.
Also read: Golf courses ready rules for post-corona lockdown scenario
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